Campus
      Once
      Again
      Trying
      Safe
      Walk
      Program
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Tara
      STEWART-STANLEY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Union
      Executive
      Vice
     
     
      President,
      Krista
      Gallant,
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      process
      of
      implementing
      a
      ‘Safe
      Walk'
     
     
      program
      on
      campus.
      She
      hopes
      to
      have
     
     
      it
      up
      and
      running
      by
      mid-October
      in
     
     
      order
      to
      increase
      student
      confidence
     
     
      and
      security.
     
    

    
     
      Gallant
      was
      looking
      through
     
     
      old
      university
      files
      when
      she
      stumbled
     
     
      upon
      information
      about
      a
      ‘Safe
      Walk'
     
     
      Program.
      This
      got
      her
      thinking
      about
     
     
      how
      ridiculous
      it
      is
      UPEI
      does
      not
     
     
      have
      such
      a
      program
      in
      place.
      Her
      first
     
     
      step
      was
      to
      contact
      the
      Student
      Union
     
     
      President,
      Chris
      Power.
      He
      told
      her
     
     
      how
      when
      the
      program
      was
      first
     
     
      implemented
      in
      the
      mid-1990s,
      it
      just
     
     
      didn't
      go
      over
      well.
      It
      wasn't
      success-
     
     
      ful.
      Gallant
      says
      things
      are
      different
     
     
      now
      and
      a
      program
      like
      this
      will
      work.
     
    

    
     
      "I
      just
      think
      with
      the
      recent
     
     
      events
      that
      have
      taken
      place
      on
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island,
      people
      are
      getting
      a
      lit-
     
     
      tle
      more
      nervous
      because
      we
      have
      this
     
     
      little
      image
      that
      Prince
      Edward
      Island's
     
     
      the
      nicest,
      happiest
      place
      on
      earth,
      and
     
     
      no
      one
      really
      would
      do
      anything
      to
     
     
      harm
      anyone
      else,"
      Gallant
      explains.
     
     
      "But
      sadly,
      it's
      getting
      to
      the
      point
     
     
      where
      we
      know
      the
      difference
      and
     
     
      things
      happen
      pretty
      much
      right
     
     
      behind
      us,
      on
      the
      trail,
      and
      it's
      time
      to
     
     
      put
      up
      our
      precautions
      and
      make
      sure
     
     
      people
      are
      safe."
     
    

    
     
      Gallant
      says
      some
      students
     
     
      might
      feel
      silly
      calling
      security
      to
      walk
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      them
      to
      their
      car
      or
      their
      nearby
      home.
     
     
      She
      feels
      this
      program
      will
      put
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      more
      at
      ease.
      When
      ‘Safe
      Walk'
     
     
      is
      in
      place,
      students
      can
      use
      the
      blue
     
     
      emergency
      poles
      located
      throughout
     
     
      campus,
      or
      any
      payphones
      or
      elevator
     
     
      phones,
      to
      reach
      security.
      Once
      con-
     
     
      tacted,
      two
      volunteer
      students
      will
     
     
      meet
      the
      lone
      person
      and
      walk
      them
      to
     
     
      their
      destination.
      A
      planned
      perimeter
     
     
      will
      be
      set
      in
      place
      as
      well,
      so
      those
     
     
      living
      in
      certain
      off-campus
      areas,
      will
     
     
      be
      able
      to
      use
      the
      services
      as
      well.
     
    

    
     
      "We'll
      have
      two
      people
     
     
      because
      we
      wouldn't
      want
      the
      other
     
     
      person
      walking
      back
      by
      themselves,"
     
     
      Gallant
      explains,
      "that's
      the
      whole
     
     
      point
      of
      it.
      So,
      we'd
      have
      a
      pair.
      If
      we
     
     
      can't
      get
      two
      for
      one
      night,
      we'll
      get
      a
     
     
      security
      officer
      and
      a
      student
      to
      walk."
     
    

    
     
      Gallant
      is
      planning
      to
      check
     
     
      all
      the
      blue
      emergency
      poles
      on
      cam-
     
     
      pus,
      to
      ensure
      everything
      is
      working
     
     
      properly,
      before
      starting
      the
      program.
     
     
      She
      says
      this
      is
      being
      done
      now,
      but
     
     
      wants
      to
      double
      check
      everything
      her-
     
     
      self.
     
    

    
     
      Gallant
      was
      never
      sure
      herself
     
     
      how
      the
      blue
      poles
      functioned.
      If
      a
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      needs
      help,
      pushing
      the
      button
      on
     
     
      a
      blue
      pole
      will
      immediately
      send
      a
     
     
      message
      to
      security.
      People
      should
      not
     
     
      hesitate
      to
      use
      any
      of
      the
      university
     
     
      security
      systems
      currently
      in
      place.
     
    

    
     
      "I
      always
      thought
      that
      you
      had
     
     
      to
      be
      dying
      to
      touch
      those
      poles,"
     
     
      Gallant
      laughs,
      "like
      it
      was
      your
      last
     
     
      measure
      or
      resort.
      You
      ran
      with
      your
     
     
      last
      dying
      breath
      to
      touch
      the
      pole.
     
     
      But,
      it's
      not
      like
      that
      at
      all.
      It
      can
      be
     
     
      used
      as
      a
      precautionary
      measure
      as
     
     
      well."
     
    

    
     
      Until
      all
      the
      glitches
      have
      been
     
     
      worked
      out,
      students
      can
      simply
      go
      to
     
     
      or
      call
      security
      (behind
      the
      sports
      cen-
     
     
      tre)
      for
      any
      help
      they
      may
      need.
     
    

    
     
      "If
      there's
      only
      one
      person
      that
     
     
      uses
      it
      all
      year,"
      Gallant
      stresses,
      "to
     
     
      me
      it's
      worth
      it,
      that
      one
      person
      who
     
     
      feels
      a
      little
      more
      comfortable
      walking
     
     
      home.
      Preventative
      measures
      are
      so
     
     
      important.
      Why
      take
      the
      risk?
      That's
     
     
      what
      I
      want
      to
      get
      out.
      Why
      bother
     
     
      taking
      the
      risk,
      you
      can
      have
      more
     
     
      safety."
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      asked
      students
      what
      they
      think
      about
      a
      poten-
     
     
      tial
      Safe
      Walk
      program.
      Is
      it
      a
      good
      idea?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "I
      think
      it's
      a
      great
      idea.
      They
      do
      it
     
     
      at
      another
      campus
      that
      I
      know
      of
      in
     
     
      |
      Ontario,
      Western.
      I
      know
      people
     
     
      |
      feel
      much
      safer
      walking
      to
      and
     
     
      from
      class
      and
      bar
      happenings,
      and
     
     
      whatever's
      going
      on
      late
      at
      night.
     
     
      At
      Western
      it's
      a
      male
      and
      a
      female
     
     
      and
      they
      go
      and
      walk
      whoever..."
     
     
      Paul
      J.
      Felton
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "I
      think
      it's
      an
      amazing
      idea
     
     
      because
      I
      know
      especially
      around
     
     
      this
      time
      of
      year,
      with
      all
      the
      hap-
     
     
      penings,
      it's
      a
      really
      a
      good
      idea.
      It
     
     
      will
      make
      people
      feel
      safe."
     
     
      Amanda
      Gallant
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      "I'd
      say
      yes,
      because
      it's
      a
      com-
     
    

    
     
      |
      muter
      population,
      not
      a
      lot
      of
      peo-
     
     
      _
      ple
      live
      on
      campus.
      A
      lot
      of
      people
     
     
      |
      want
      to
      be
      safe
      when
      they
      walk
      to
     
     
      |
      their
      cars."
     
     
      Joel
      Gillespie
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "I
      think
      so,
      yeah.
      I
      probably
     
     
      wouldn't
      use
      it
      myself,
      but
      it's
     
     
      probably
      a
      good
      idea."
     
    

    
     
      Laura
      MacLean